ORP on ODP ad: Pointing fingers will not put people back to work

The Ohio Republican Party responded to the news that the Ohio Democratic Party plans to begin airing a TV ad that highlights the loss of jobs in Ohio during the Bush administration by saying that pointing fingers is not going to put people back to work.

ODP executive director Doug Kelly told supporters in an e-mail soliciting contributions that the ad, "Not Numbers," will win the election in Ohio.

The ad comes after the ODP issued a report Monday highlighting job losses in Ohio over the past eight years.

ORP deputy chair Kevin DeWine responded on behalf of Republicans.

"Pointing fingers will not put people back to work," DeWine said. "Ted Strickland said if Ohioans elected him governor he would turn around Ohio's economy, yet he's presided over the highest unemployment rate in nearly two decades."

"It's time the Democrats stop playing politics with this state's job loss and start providing the solutions they promised on the campaign trail two years ago," DeWine continued. "They can't even get their message straight on this issue. Just last month, Ted Strickland fired off a letter to the Wall Street Journal that said Ohio's economy was doing fine and praised Republican tax reforms for generating job growth. 

It's unfortunate that all the governor and his party can offer lately is more tired political rhetoric designed to exploit jobless Ohioans for political gain.  No wonder a growing number of Ohioans disapprove of the governor's job performance."

The ORP provided the following "for the record," as examples of Strickland's record:

• Ted Strickland's unemployment rate is the highest in 16 years: The state says Ohio's unemployment rate jumped to 7.4 percent in August, up from 7.2 percent in July. It's the highest rate in 16 years.  (Associated Press, 9/19/08)
• Ted Strickland's job approval rating continues to decline: A new WHIOTV/SurveyUSA poll shows that Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's approval rating has dipped to 49 percent.The survey taken of 600 adults statewide showed that 45 percent disapprove of Strickland and 6 percent are not sure. Another poll had the governor's approval rating at 55 percent back in June.  (WHIO, 10/01/08)
• Ohio's mass layoffs have doubled in the last year on Ted Strickland's watch: Large-scale job cutbacks in Ohio put more than twice the number of workers in line for unemployment benefits in August compared with a year ago, according to a federal report released Tuesday.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 62 dismissals of 50 workers or more in Ohio last month, up from 29 a year ago.  (Business First, 9/23/08)

Meanwhile, Strickland announced his signing of an executive order on Wednesday establishing an Ohio Economic Growth Cabinet.

The cabinet is designed as a subdivision of the governor's cabinet that will focus on creating jobs and increasing economic growth opportunities in Ohio.

"There is no greater priority for my administration than creating jobs and getting our economy moving again," Strickland said. "The Ohio Economic Growth Cabinet will help us to make sure we are using all the tools of state government to grow Ohio's economy."

The announcement from Strickland said that executive order is the first initiative of the Ohio Department of Development's Strategic Plan for Economic Development to be implemented.

The first three initiatives identified for the Cabinet include:

• "Promoting a Comprehensive Approach to Business Needs: Interagency Work Teams were created at the start of the Strickland/Fisher Administration to respond rapidly to time-sensitive opportunities for job creation and retention and to provide solutions for projects with complex needs.  Interagency Work Teams will remain a key tactic for addressing the needs of Ohio's business customers and community.
• Developing a Unified Economic Development Budget: The unified economic development budget will identify investments made throughout state government to support economic development initiatives.  This unified budget will increase transparency for Ohioans about the state's spending while helping evaluate how well state investments are coordinated to achieve the best economic impact.
• Monitoring the Progress of Economic Development in Ohio: As outlined in the Ohio Department of Development Strategic Plan, the Economic Growth Cabinet will assist the Department with achieving the measures and performance targets of the plan.  The Economic Growth Cabinet will engage its local partners in each of Ohio's regions to develop and add to the plan's performance measures."